Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-07
Countess NalOla.
BY wrrfIt cb111Ns.


boxes, began the business OF unpacRiilg' III
the bury of making her toilet Tor dinner she
had taken the first dress that lay uppermost
In the trunk and had thrown her travelling
costume on the bed. She now opened the
doors of the wardrobe for the first time and
began TO hang her dresses on the hooks in the
large compartment on one side.
After n few minutes only of this occupation
che grew weary of it and decided on leaving
the trunks as they were until the next morn
ing. The oppressive south wind which BAD
blown throughout the day still prevailed at
night. The atmosphere of the room felt
close; Agnes threw shawl over her head and
shoulders, and opening the window stepped
into the balcony to look at the view.
The night was heavy and overcast; uothing
could be distinctly seen.
Leaning on tie parapet OF the balcony,
Agnes looked vacantly into the black void
beneath. Her thoughts reverted to the mis-
cradle man who had broken his pledged faith
to her and who had died in that house. Some
change seemed to have come over her since
her arrival in Venice; some new influence
appeared to be at work. For the first time
in her experience OF herself compassion
and regret were not the only emo
tions aroused in her by the remembrance
of the dead Montbarry. A keen sense of the
wrong that she had suffered never yet felt
by thnt gentle and forgiving nature, was felt
by il now. She found herself thinking of the
by gone DAYS of her humiliation almost as
barshly as Henry Westwick had thought of
them--she who had rehuked him the last time
be had spoken slightingly of his brother in
her presence! A sudden fear and doubt of
herself startled her physically as well as
morally. She turned from the shadowy abyss
of the dark water. as ii the mystery and the
gloom of it had been answerable for the emo
tons which had taken her by surprise
Abruptly closing the window, she threw aside
her shawl and lit the candles on the mantel-
piece, impelled by sudden craving for light
in the solitude of her room
The cheering brightness round her contrast
ing with the black gloom outside, restored her
spirits. She felt herself enjoying the light
like child
Would it be well tshe asked herself to get
ready for bed! No! The sense of drowsy
fatigue that she had felt half an hour since
was going She returned to the dull employ
ment Of unpacking her boxes. After few
OulN tue O%NhpdIlN7l tVNuitiG IhSDulc
to her once more. She sat down by the table
and took up a guide book. Suppose | inform
myself she thought, ion the subject of
Venicef
Her attention wandered from the book be-
fore she had tnrned the first page of it.
The image OF Henry Westwick was the
present image in her memory now. Recalling
the minuteSt incidents and details OF the eve
ming, she could think of nsthing which pre-
sented him under other than a favorable and
interesting aspect She smiled TO herself
softly, her color rose by fine graduation as she
felt the full luxury of dwelling on the per
feet truth and modesty of his devotion TO her
Was the depression of spirits from which she
bad suffered so persstently on her travels at
trihutable, BY any chance, to their long sepa
ration from each other-imbittered, perhaps,
by her own vain regret when she remembered
her rash reception of him in Paris! Suddenly
conscious of this bold question and of the self
abandonment which it implied she returned
mechanically to her book, startled by the I'M
restrained liberty of her own thoughts. What
lurking temptations to forbidden tenderness
fiHd their hiding places in a woman's dressing
gown, when she Is alone in her room at night
With her heart in the tomb Of the dead Mont
barry, could Agnes even think of another
man and think of love, How shameful how
unworthy of her For the second time she
tried to interest herself in the guide book
and once more she tried in vain. Throwing
the book aside she turned desperately to the
one resource that was left, to her luggage -
resolved TO fatigue herself without mercy
until she was weary enough and sleepy enough
to find safe refuge in bed.
For some little time she persisted in tbs
monotonous occupation of transferring her
clothes from the trunk TO the wardrobe Tn,
large clock in the hall, striking midnight, re
minded her that it was getting late. She sa
down for moment in an arm chair by tn,
bedside to rest
The silence IN the house now caught he
attention and held it-held il disagreeably
Was Everybody in bed and asleep but herself
Surely Il was time for her TO follow the gen
eral examplet With certain irritable
nervous haste she rose and again undresse,
herself. II have lost two hours of rest sh,
thought, frowning at the reflection of hersel
in the glass as she arranged her hair for tn,
night II shall be good for nothing to-mor
rowm
She lit the night light and extinguished the
candles-with one exception, which she re-
moved to a little table placed on the side o.
the bed opposite to the side occupied by tn
arm chair. Having put her travelling box o
matches and the guide book near the candI
in case she might be sleepless and might wan
to read, she blew out the light and laid he
head on the pillow
The curtains Of the bed were looped bacl
to let the air pass freely over her Lying OF
her left side. with her face turned away from
the table, she could see the arm chair by tn
dim night light 1t had a chintz covering.
representing large punches Of roses scattere.
over pale green ground She tried +
weary herself into drowsiness by counting
over and over again the punches of roses tina
were visible from her point of view. Twic
her attention was distracted from the count
ing by sounds outside-by the clock chimin
the half hour past 10; and then again by tn
fall OF pair of boots on the upper floor
thrown out to be cleaned, and with that bar
barous disregard of the comfort OF other
which is observable in humanity when it in
habits an hotel. In the silence that followe
these passing disturbances Agnes went o.
counting the roses on the arm chair more an
more slowly. Before long she confused her
self in the agures-tried to begin countin
again-thought she would wait little first
felt her eyelids dropping and her head sink
ing lower and lower on the pillow-sighe
faintly-and sunk into sleep.
How long that first sleep lasted she neve
knew. She could only remember in tn
after time that she woke instantly
Every faculty and perception in her passe
the boundary line between insensibility an
consciousness, so to speak, at leap. With
out knowing why she sat up suddenly in tn
bed, listening for she knew not what He
head was in whirl; her heart beat furiously
without any assignabe cause But on
trivial event had happened during the inter
val while she had been asleep. The nigh
light had gone out, and the room, as matte
oil course, was III total darkness
She felt for the match box, and pause
after finding it. A vague sense of confusio
was still in her mind She was in no hurr
TO light the match The pause in the dark
ness was, strangely enough, agreeable to her
In the queter flow of her thoughts durin
this interval she could ask herself the nature
question; What cause had awakened her 8
suddenly, and had so strangely shaken he
neryesi Had it been the influence of a dream
She had not dreamed at all-or, to spea
more correctly, she had no waking remeu
brance of having dreamed. The mystery wa
beyond her fathoming; the darkness began I
Cypress her She struck the match on tn
box and lit her candle.
As the welcome light diffused over the ROOF
she turned from the table und looked towar
the other side of the had